Great Creative Engenders Creative
A quote in a recent edition of Marketing Week, one that is asked so often, in so many different marketing and advertising publications:
The future of creativity: The battle for marketing’s creative soul is on.
The music industry (The very broad genera of “modern” music) is analogous to marketing/advertising creative.
I cannot recall any public reaction to an artist that comes anywhere near The Taylor Swift mania, not just in Australia, but in every country she took her Eras tour.
The girl and her team are marketing tornadoes – she dominated the news leading up to and during her concerts and is still making news. The latest is she has joined the ranks of Billionaires. And good luck to her. Her success has nothing to do with good fortune. She has worked long and hard for her success (there were even stories about the crowds at her concerts stamping their feet dancing to her music was shaking the ground so much it registered on the Reichter scale).
She has blown virtually every other musician and group off the map. The term “Swifties” has become part of the lexicon. As good as she is, her “competition” is, well, let’s compare it to the artists and groups of the 60s and 70s. (Yes, that is 45 to 60 years ago).
For many, these artists were releasing music before most in the industry were born, yet their music is still played regularly, either the original or a cover version from a modern artist. (How often do you hear the original “Brown Eyed Girl”, which was released in 1967 by Van Morrison?)
Here is a list, from the top of my head, of 60s & 70s music artists – it is far from the full list of greats:
The Beatles
Rolling Stones
Bob Dylan
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
The Doors
Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Cream
John Mayell
Black Sabbath
Deep Purple
Jeff Beck
Allman Brothers
The Who
Joni Mitchell
David Bowie
Bruce Springsteen
The Beach Boys
Queen
Mo Town Music (Separate List – Dianna Ross, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Four Tops etc.)
The Moody Blues
Cat Stevens
AC/DC
Joe Cocker
The Bee Gees
Credence
Elton John
Lou Reed
Billy Joel
Bad Company
The Eagles
Van Morrison
Eric Clapton
Geoff Beck
Lou Reed
Carlos Santana
The Kinks
America
Doobie Brothers
Donovan
Neil Young
Crosby Stills Nash & Young (Neil Young)
Joni Mitchel
BB King
John Lee Hooker
Muddy Waters
Sony Terry & Brownie McGee
Carol King
Peter Frampton
Stevie Wonder
Rod Stewart
The Kinks
Cold Chisel
Jackson Browne
Roy Orbison
Steve Miller
Tom Petty
Genesis
Phil Collins
Ry Cooder
The Band
The Ramones
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Thin Lizzy
Dire Straits
Fleetwood Mac
Canned Heat
Steppenwolf
Bad Company
Backman Turner Overdrive
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blondie
Abba
Talking Heads
Michael Jackson
Bon Jovi
Def Leppard
ELO
Dragon
Midnight Oil
INXS
Cold Chisel
Jo Zo Sep
Crowded House
Hunters and Collectors
Chrissy Amphlett (Divinyls)
The 60s and 70s were 2 decades we will never see the likes of again. What was it that was the catalyst for such great creativity and musicians? (It definitely wasn’t something in the water, think Keith Richards). Ian Drury sang “Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll”, which became a theme and for many people looking in, it was one big party. But the reality is vastly different.
Keith Richards is renowned for his drinking and drug taking. Rather than one big party, it was hard work – writing, recording, producing, touring. In between he was always experimenting and learning from his peers (similarly with bassists, drummers, keyboards etc). His distinctive sound on classics such as Honky Tonk Woman and Brown Sugar, comes from a 5-string, different tuning, set up rather than the traditional 6 tuning (he borrowed the idea from the great blues artist Ry Cooder.) I have only used Richards as an example as he is probably as well known for his excesses by people outside of music as he is for his music.
Whether it is music or advertising, achieving great heights requires not only similar skills, but similar dedication and approach. The 1980s was a much simpler time. Advertising was all about creativity.
I have only spoken about music, but many great artists and writers have also worked in advertising.
Today it seems that data and technology have taken an equal footing. Of course, there is no denying that great advertising requires great briefs and data helps in developing great briefs.
The problems with silos in companies are often mentioned. Creative has a similar issue now – content producers, specialists in social, EDM etc. A great copywriter and art director team would have been equally adept at designing and writing for social, as they would a TVC. (A lot of people will say bullshit, but they didn’t work with the great /genuine creative people of the past.)
And social media, in particular TikTok, means “everyone is creative”. Some of the garbage on this platform leaves me speechless, no easy task. And I often hear and read about how TikTok requires special/different skills and approach. (A good excuse for some of the rubbish that rates highly).
I don’t know David Droga, though what I have seen of his work and as a creative director, he fits the bill of an all-round creative. Do any remember his stunt of artificially graffitiing the US President’s plane, Air Force 1, going viral? This stunt bought him his initial wide acclaim. One of the first huge viral successes, after which going “viral” was an objective many chased. He is also just as adept at TV, radio, print, outdoor…… His greatest success though has been as a creative director. There are bugger all of them around today – creative director across all mediums (rather ironic when the need for integrated campaigns is so often espoused).
Advertising has always been “where science meets art”. But maybe science has taken over a bit too much.
